Riverhead BOE expected to adopt $111.5 million budget tonight

The Riverhead school board is expected to adopt the superintendent’s proposed 2012-13 school year budget at Tuesday night’s board meeting.

Superintendent Nancy Carney has proposed a roughly $111.5 million spending plan for next school year, which trims more than $3.2 million to keep the district under the state’s 1.73 percent tax levy increase cap.

A state law passed last year limits increases in the tax levy, the amount of money the district can collect from taxpayers, at 2 percent, but other variables kept Riverhead’s cap at the lower 1.73 percent.

In February, the district cut $1.9 million from next year’s budget by issuing layoff notices to 21 employees, including 12 teachers and nine teaching assistants. Last month, Ms. Carney said unexpected increases in state aid will mean “at least two” of the laid off teachers will be retained.

No in-school programs will be cut due to the layoffs, Ms. Carney said, but some classes will be offered less often and each department will now have to work with a smaller budget.

The adult education program in the district would be completely cut, while extra-curricular activities and sports would also face cuts to equipment and coaches.

All after-school programs at district elementary schools would be eliminated and several sports teams would be combined rather than completely removed.

Ms. Carney has also proposed to combine the Riverhead Middle School and Pulaski Street School bus runs to save an additional $300,000.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Riverhead High School auditorium.